Colorado Women's
Agenda
Legislative Scorecard 2006
(pdf)
Legislative Scorecard
2005
2005 Legislative Session
Overview
Budget Bills
Health Care
Civil Rights
Family Rights
Violence
Against Women
Civil
Participation
2005 Key Votes Colorado Senate
2005 Key Votes
Colorado House
In 2005, for the first time in four decades, Democrats
were the majority in the legislature. This shift in power made a difference.
Most significantly, Governor Owens and a majority of the General Assembly
came together and out Referenda C and D on the 2005 ballot. This bi-partisan
effort, along with the support of Colorado citizens, provided an avenue for
economic recovery. The passage of Referendum C will enable Colorado women,
(individuals and families) to access statewide human services as they
continue their struggle towards self-sufficiency.
Colorado’s political shift also heralded important
shifts in representation. With Joan Fitz-Gerald as Colorado’s first female
Senate President and Peter Groff as Colorado’s first African-American Senate
President Pro-Tem, the Capitol began to reflect the population of the state.
Add Alice Madden as the House Majority Leader, and it is apparent women are
laying the foundation for leadership on the hill. According to Madden
“…we pledged to work on three main issues- restoring Colorado’s leadership
in job growth, creating a top-notch education system, and lowering the cost
of health care for individuals and businesses.” Throughout the 2005
session Colorado’s Assembly lived up to it’s promise. However, many bills
did not make it past the Governor. Breaking Colorado records, Governor Bill
Owens used his “veto pen” 47 times.
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A SCORECARD FOR WOMEN
Every year Colorado Women’s Agenda examines the voting
records of elected officials in Colorado on legislation affecting women
across the state. This year the scorecard includes a peek into 2006
legislation affecting women. Most of the bills we tracked concerned Family
Rights, Civil Rights, and Health Care. Scored bills are indicated by a check
(Ö).
This scorecard is a tool to enable concerned women
to hold their elected officials accountable for their votes during the year.
We hope this information will both educate and motivate the people of
Colorado to engage in the democratic process. After reading this scorecard
we ask that you perform two crucial actions—VOTE! and contact your
representatives and tell them how you feel about their voting performance.
Now that you are equipped with information, a quick not or phone call will
remind your representatives that they are accountable to women in this
state.
Colorado Women’s Agenda would like to thanks the
following organizations for working with us throughout the legislative
session to keep us and you informed about women’s policy issues: 9to5,
National Association of Working Women, AARP, AFDC Coalition, AFL-CIO,
Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Colorado Fiscal Policy
Institute, Colorado NARAL, Colorado Progressive Coalition, Women’s Lobby of
Colorado.
[Return to Top]
HOUSE BILL 05-11194 CONCERNING THE RETENTION OF
STATE REVENUE IN EXCESS OF THE LIMITATION OF STATE FISCAL YEAR SPENDING IN
ORDER TO PROVIDE A MORE STABLE MEANS OF FUNDING STATE BUDGETARY NEEDS.
(Romanoff/Johnson)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: REFERRED TO 11/05 BALLOT AS REFERENDA
C & D; VOTERS PASSED REFERENDUM C AND REJECTED REFERENDUM D
For the 2205-06 fiscal year through 2009-10 fiscal
year, authorizes the state to retain and spend all state revenue in excess
of the limitation on state fiscal year spending; and for the fiscal year
2010-11 and each year after, authorizes the state to retain and spend all
state revenues in excess of the limitation on state fiscal year spending,
but less than the excess state revenues cap for the given fiscal year.
HOUSE BILL 05-1262 CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF TOBACCO TAXES FOR HEALTH-RELATED PURPOSES PURSUANT TO SECTION 21 OF
ARTICLE X OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION THEREFORE.
(Boyd/Hagerdorn)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Creates in the state treasury the tobacco tax cash
fund, consisting of moneys collected from cigarette and tobacco taxes, to be
allocated for health care expansion, primary care, tobacco education, and
prevention.
Ö SENATE
BILL 05-202 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FEE- REPEAL
(Sandoval/Cloer)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Repeals the authority of the department of human
services to charge a one dollar per month administration fee to public
assistance recipients who receive assistance payments through the electronic
benefits transfer service for the Colorado works program, old age pension,
aid to the needy, disabled, aid to the blind, low-income energy assistance,
and child care assistance.
[Return to Top]
This includes bills that were listed under
“Reproductive Rights” in previous scorecards.
Ö HOUSE
BILL 05-1042 CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION TO A
SURVIVOR OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT.
(Boyd/Veiga)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: VETOED BY GOVERNOR
Requires hospitals to adopt protocols to inform a
female survivor of a sexual assault of the availability of emergency
contraception and offer to dispense the emergency contraception or refer the
survivor to a pharmacy that can disperse the emergency contraception.
Exempts a health care professional who objects on religious or moral grounds
from the requirement to provide information concerning emergency
contraception. Specifies that a hospital shall not be required to provide
emergency contraception to a woman who is not at risk of becoming pregnant
from the assault or who is already pregnant.
HOUSE BILL 05-1141 CONCERNING DEFINING CHILD ABUSE
TO INCLUDE THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH A CHILD TESTS POSITIVE AT BIRTH FOR
CERTAIN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.
(Harvey/Tochtrop)
Women’s Agenda Position: Monitor
Outcome:
SIGNED INTO LAW
Defines “ abuse” or
“child abuse or neglect” for purposes of investigation and adjudication to
include any case in which a child tests positive at birth for either a
schedule-I or a schedule-II controlled substance, unless the child tests
positive for a schedule-II controlled substance as a result from a mother’s
unlawful intake of such a substance as prescribed.
SENATE BILL 05-169 ASSEMBLY FOR COMPREHENSIVE
STATE HEALTH CARE REFORM-APPROPRIATION.
(Hanna/Berens)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome:
VETOED BY GOVERNOR
Establishes the
assembly for comprehensive state health care reform. Requires members of the
health care assembly to be appointed from various backgrounds, including
members of the general assembly; representatives of health care
professionals; health care industry, business, and labor representatives;
executive department administrators; citizens; and others. The health care
assembly is required to meet over a period of 24 months to discuss health
care reform proposals and to decide upon a proposal to present to the
general assembly.
SENATE BILL 05-227 COMMISSION ON MANDATED HEALTH
INSURANCE BENEFITS- CONTINUATION – HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE – CREATION –
DUTIES
(Hagerdorn/Marshall)
Women’s Agenda Position: Monitor
Outcome:
SIGNED INTO LAW
Continues the
commission on mandated health insurance benefits until July 1, 2010. Creates
the health care task force to address health care issues that may affect
health insurance, emerging trends in Colorado health care, affordable health
insurance, health care delivery, managed care issues, the medically
indignant population, costs and benefits of preventative and early
treatment, rural health care issues, the uninsured population, network
adequacy, provider reimbursement processes, and certificates of need.
Repeals the health care task force on July 1, 2010.
Ö SENATE
JOINT RESOLUTION O5-036 CONCERNING AN INTERIM COMMITTEE TO STUDY HEALTH
INSURANCE
(Hagedorn/Boyd)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome:
SIGNED INTO LAW
That there is hereby
created a legislative committee, hereinafter referred to as the committee,
which shall meet during the interim after the first regular session of the
Sixty-fifth General Assembly to study health insurance issues affecting the
citizens of Colorado.
CIVIL RIGHTS
Ö HOUSE
BILL 05-1143 CONCERNING THE CREATION OF AN INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON
TRAFFICKING PERSONS
(Borodkin/Fitz-Gerald)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Creates an emergency task force on trafficking in
persons. Requires state and local agencies to cooperate with the task force.
Directs the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the
house and senate judiciary committees by January 15, 2007.
HOUSE BILL 05-1271 CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF
SERVICES TO PERSONS LEGALLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES
(Schultheis/Lamborn)
Women’s Agenda Position: OPPOSE
Outcome: POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
Requires state or county agency to provide nonemergency
services or public health benefits only to citizens of the United States and
persons legally present in the United States. Requires state and county
agencies to require a person seeking services or public benefits from the
state or county to provide documentation issued by the United States
government, the state of Colorado, or other valid documentation
demonstrating that the person is legally present in the United States.
HOUSE BILL 05-017 CONCERNING CREATION OF THE CRIME
OF ENGAGING SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH KNOWLEDGE OF BEING INFECTED WITH HUMAN
IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS
(Windels/Jahn)
Women’s Agenda Position: OPPOSE
Outcome: POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
Criminalizes engaging in sexual activity with knowledge
of being infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Makes the offense a
class 1 misdemeanor.
[Return to Top]
CIVIL RIGHTS-
LGBTQ
Ö SENATE
BILL 05-028 EMPLOYMENT NONDISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS – ADDITION OF SEXUAL
ORIENTATION – APPROPRIATION
(Viega/Madden)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome:
VETOED BY GOVERNOR
Adds sexual
orientation to the list of characteristics for which a person may not be
discriminated against under state laws applying to employment.
SENATE BILL 05-140 CONCERNING LIMITING THE LEGAL
IMPLICATIONS OF MARRIAGE TO A MARITAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO MEMBERS OF
THE OPPOSITE SEX
(Lamborn/Harvey)
Women’s Agenda Position: OPPOSE
Outcome:
POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
Prohibits a
relationship that is not a marriage between one man and one woman from
receiving, in the state of Colorado, the totality of legal benefits,
protections, and responsibilities that uniquely accrue to persons in a
relationship of marriage between one man and one woman by operation of
Colorado law, whether the relationship was entered into the state of
Colorado or in another state.
SENATE BILL 05-235 SMALL GROUP SICKNESS AND
ACCIDENT INSURANCE – OFFER OF DOMESTIC PARTNER AND DOMESTIC PARTNER
DEPENDENT COVERAGE
(Viega/Marshall)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome:
SIGNED INTO LAW
Clarifies that a
small employer carrier may offer and a small employer may accept or reject
coverage for employees’ domestic partners and their dependents under a
standard or basic health benefit plan.
[Return to Top]
FAMILY RIGHTS
This section has been renamed. In previous scorecards
it was titled “ Low-Income Women and Families”.
Ö HOUSE
BILL 05-1020 CREATION OF AN ALTERNATIVE BASE PERIOD FOR THE PURPOSE OF
QUALIFYING WORKERS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS
(Cerbo/Takis)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: VETOED BY GOVERNOR
Except as otherwise provided in section 8-73-104 or
subsection (2) of this section, each eligible individual who is totally
unemployed in any week shall be paid, with respect to such week, benefits at
the rate of sixty percent of one-twenty-sixth of the wages paid for insured
work during the consecutive quarters of her or his base period in which such
total wages were highest, computed to the next lower multiple of one dollar
but not more than one-half of the average weekly earnings in all covered
industries in Colorado according to the records of the division, as computed
by the division in June for ensuing twelve months beginnings July 1, on the
basis of the most recent available figures, and not less than twenty-five
dollars.
Ö HOUSE
BILL 05-1025 CONCERNING ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE “COLORADO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
ACT”
(Stafford/Hagedorn)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Allows a pregnant women to be presumptively eligible
for specified services under the state’s Medicaid program. Authorizes the
department of health care policy and financing (”department”) to designate
additional medical assistance sites, as necessary, to accept medical
assistance applications, to determine medical assistance eligibility, and to
determine presumptive eligibility. Requires the department to notify the
county in which the additional medical assistance site is located. Requires
the department to develop training safeguards to prevent actions taken by
staff of medical assistance sites from affecting food and cash assistance
eligibility.
HOUSE BILL 05-1270 CONCERNING THE BROADCAST OF AN
AMBER ALERT IN THE CASE OF AN ABDUCTED NEWBORN
(Cadman/Sandoval)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Clarifies that newborn infants are included in the
definition of an abducted child in the amber alert program. Provides that
the Colorado bureau of investigation need not have complete identification
information to issue an amber alert for a newborn infant.
HOUSE BILL 05-1331 CONCERNING THE HOME INVESTMENT FUND
(Boyd/Groff)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome:
VETOED BY GOVERNOR
Expands the existing
powers of the state division of housing to purchase and temporarily hold
real property for the purpose of preserving the property as affordable and
to transfer title to the property to a local housing authority or a private
nonprofit corporation.
Ö SENATE
BILL 05-001 LOW-INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE – PROGRAM - OPTIONAL CHARGE TO
CUSTOMERS
(Sandoval/Buescher)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome:
SIGNED INTO LAW
Requires electric
and gas utilities doing business in Colorado to participate in the energy
assistance program and to provide the opportunity for utility customers to
make a optional energy assistance contribution beginning September 1, 2006.
Requires money from the energy assistance contributions to be transferred to
Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) on a quarterly schedule. Requires the EOC to
use the contributions to provide low-income energy assistance and to improve
energy efficiency.
SENATE BILL 05-021 CONCERNING PARENTAL LEAVE FOR
PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN 101 ARE PARTICIPATING IN SCHOOL RELATED ACTIVITIES
(Groff/Carroll T.)
Women’s Agenda Position: MONITOR
Outcome: POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
Allows an employee of any employer who employs at least
10 employees to take unpaid leave for the purpose of attending
parent-teacher conferences or other school activities related to the
educational advancement of the employees’ child. Limits the unpaid leave to
5 hours in any one-month period, not to exceed 40 hours in any academic
year.
Ö SENATE
BILL 05-201 SEVERANCE TAX TRUST FUND – USE OF MONEYS FOR LEAP PROGRAM –
APPROPRIATION.
(Kester/Frangas)
Women’s Agenda Position: MONITOR
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Authorizes the appropriation of moneys from the
operational account of the severance tax trust fund to increase funding for
the low – income energy assistance program of the department of human
services and appropriates $7,600,000 from the account for such purpose.
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VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN
Ö HOUSE
BILL 05-1105 CONCERNING ACCESS TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BY PERSONS WHO HAVE
QUIT A JOB DUE TO DOMESTIC ABUSE.
(McGibon/Veiga)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Exempts a victim of domestic abuse from the requirement
to actively be seeking employment in order to receive unemployment benefits
for the first 15 days after a claim is filed if the requirement to be
actively seeking work would make it more difficult for the victim to escape
domestic abuse or would unfairly penalize the victim.
Ö HOUSE
BILL 05-1169 CONCERNING HOUSING ISSUES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
(Todd/Kester)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Amends forcible entry and detainer laws to provide
that, for lease and rental agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2005,
when a tenant is the documented victim of domestic violence, the alleged
lease violations shall not constitute an unlawful detention of real
property. Preserves a landlord’s right to seek judgment against a tenant or
lessee ho perpetuated the violence that resulted in the alleged unlawful
detention. Allows a tenant to terminate a lease and to vacate premises if he
or she is the victim of domestic violence. Prohibits a landlord from
terminating a lease or evicting a tenant because the tenant is the victim of
domestic violence.
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CIVIL
PARTICIPATION
SENATE BILL 05-031 CONCERNING THE ELECTION OFFENSE
OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS DESIGNED TO AFFECT THE VOTE AS PROSCRIBED BY
SECTION 1-13-109, COLORADO REVISED STATUES
(Keller/Merrifield)
Women’s Agenda Position: SUPPORT
Outcome: SIGNED INTO LAW
Expands the existing election offense governing false
statements, which currently proscribes certain conduct performed knowingly,
to prohibit any person from recklessly making, publishing, broadcasting, or
circulating or causing to make, publish. Broadcast, or circulate in any form
of communication any false statement designed to affect the vote on any
issue submitted to the electors at any election or relating to any candidate
for election to public office. Specifies that, for purposes of the act, a
person acts recklessly when he or she acts in conscious disregard of the
truth or falsity of the statement made, published, broadcasted, or
circulated.
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|
2005 SENATE |
HB05-1020 |
HB05-1025 |
HB05-1042 |
HB05-1105 |
HB05-1143 |
HB05-1169 |
SBO5-001 |
SB05-028 |
SB05-202 |
SB05-036 |
2004 SCORE % |
2005 SCORE % |
|
|
|
CWA |
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
|
ANDERSON |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
40 |
|
50 |
|
|
BACON |
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
NA |
|
100 |
|
|
DYER |
|
N |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
Y |
40 |
|
40 |
|
|
ENTZ |
|
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
70 |
|
80 |
|
|
EVANS |
|
N |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
N |
N |
30 |
|
50 |
|
|
FITZ-GERALD |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
100 |
|
100 |
|
|
GORDON |
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
100 |
|
100 |
|
|
GROFF |
|
Y |
E |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
90 |
|
100 |
|
|
GROSSMAN |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
E |
90 |
|
100 |
|
|
HAGERDORN |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
70 |
|
100 |
|
|
HANNA |
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
N |
90 |
|
90 |
|
|
HILLMAN |
|
N |
Y |
N |
Y |
N |
Y |
Y |
N |
| 
